Incunabula’s Owning Excommunication

Incunabula has announced its theme and title for the 2015-2016 issue: “Owning Excommunication.”

In the Editor’s Note of issue, the Editor-in-Chief junior Emily Ramser describes excommunication as “to exclude or expel from membership or participation in any group or association.”

The theme was first suggested by Poetry Editor junior Shannon Henesy, as she felt that it accurately represented a majority of the pieces being published in this issue, since a lot of them deal with standing up to discrimination.

In coordination with the theme, sophomore Rachel Scott’s digital art piece entitled “White Out” was chosen as the cover.

Scott described the piece as as a social commentary on the white-washing of black culture.
This year’s magazine will also be dedicated to Sheryl Monks, an adjunct professor who taught creative writing classes at Salem College until Fall 2015.

When discussing the Monks in the Editor’s Note, Ramser says , “You have been an inspiration to all of us.”

In her personal dedication, Assistant Editor Kayla Conway also thanks Monks. She thanks her for “her never ending encouragement and support, and just for existing in general.”
Other pieces that are to be published in this issue in include first-year Lorina Morton’s poem “The Landmass of Africa has 53 Countries (Including Island Nations),” junior Amanda Jones’s photo “Two-World’s Collide” and Johanna Gross’s short story “The Lighthouse Keeper.”

The final version of this year’s issue of Incunabula will be announced at Celebration of Academic Excellence in April.